Management of perioperative stress in children and parents. Part II — anaesthesia and postoperative period

Jacek Litke, Agnieszka Pikulska, Tomasz Wegner

Anaesthesiol Intensive Ther 2012;44(3):170-174.

open access

Vol 44, No 3 (2012 Jul-Sep)

Review articles

Published online: 2012-10-22

Submitted: 2012-10-22

Accepted: 2012-10-22

Abstract

The majority of children, even those well prepared and with positive attitudes, experiences stress in the operating theatre and during the postoperative period. In some cases, the stress is even stronger for their parents. The role of anaesthetists is to minimize the unpleasant sensations by providing painless vein cannulation, uneventful induction of anaesthesia, suitably planned and timed analgesia, and prevention of postoperative vomiting. The effectiveness of combined analgesics, early administration of saturating doses and analgesia supplemented or based on methods of block anaesthesia – particularly on peripheral and local blocks, less appreciated in children, have been highlighted. Such a stress-reducing strategy should be initiated before hospitalisation and consistently continued to its completion or even longer, the example of which are one-day surgery patients who should receive prescriptions for or suitable drugs (mainly analgesics) on discharge for use in the home setting. Preparation of local programmes for management reducing surgery-associated stress in children is worth recommending.

Abstract

The majority of children, even those well prepared and with positive attitudes, experiences stress in the operating theatre and during the postoperative period. In some cases, the stress is even stronger for their parents. The role of anaesthetists is to minimize the unpleasant sensations by providing painless vein cannulation, uneventful induction of anaesthesia, suitably planned and timed analgesia, and prevention of postoperative vomiting. The effectiveness of combined analgesics, early administration of saturating doses and analgesia supplemented or based on methods of block anaesthesia – particularly on peripheral and local blocks, less appreciated in children, have been highlighted. Such a stress-reducing strategy should be initiated before hospitalisation and consistently continued to its completion or even longer, the example of which are one-day surgery patients who should receive prescriptions for or suitable drugs (mainly analgesics) on discharge for use in the home setting. Preparation of local programmes for management reducing surgery-associated stress in children is worth recommending.

Bibliographic record

Keywords

Authors

Jacek Litke
Agnieszka Pikulska
Tomasz Wegner

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